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She devoted an entire hour of The Oprah Winfrey Showto the topic several years ago and the concept of creating a visual board of what you want skyrocketed. Although treasure mapping was not a new concept at the time, the practice exploded. Hoards of women and men and children around the globe began to create a visual collage of their goals for the future.

The results reported were astounding. Wave after wave of “treasure mappers” began recording achievement success, all attributed to their design a visual reminder of what they wanted to accomplish in their life. Creating a treasure map is a very simple but effective idea: It involves creating a physical representation or collage of what you want to achieve that acts as a constant visual reminder and representation of your goals. Seeing daily the treasure map that you created intensifies the effects of visualization, which seals your intentions on your subconscious mind to motivate and encourage you towards achieving those goals.

A treasure map collage is a powerful goal attainment technique. The reason it can be effective is that you identify exactly what you want for your life. Treasure mapping is a creative image that you put on paper that shows what you desire and intend to work towards for a span of time. Barbara Laport has been using and teaching the process of goal design on collage, or treasure mapping, for more than twenty years. She says, in her book Goal Achievement through Treasure Mapping, that this is one way to link vision with reality.

Treasure mapping is an effective goal design process. It involves creating a physical, visual representation of your goals. You get to create this collage, which may be a work of art or a crude form of motivation for achievement. Some treasure mappers are design conscious and some aren’t. The main point is not to spend too much energy on “beauty.” Rather spend your creative juice on the “bounty” of what you intend to achieve.

Key Treasure Mapping Step:

First of all, begin creating your treasure map when you are ready. You can create a treasure map anytime. It does not have to be completed New Year’s Day, although many use that date as a marker for their annual treasure map ritual. It’s up to you. Start designing your goal collage when you are ready to craft your creative visual of your financial, personal, professional or material goals. That is when you begin.

The most important first step in creating your treasure map is to clearly know what you want to achieve. Your goals must be clarified at the beginning of the process. Goal setting is the first pivot step in the process.

Next, you can begin to visualize what you want to happen once you have achieved your goals.

It is really that simple – know the goal(s) you want to achieve and then visualize the outcome. Dig into the details by asking questions about each goal: What do I want? What will I get when I achieve my goal? How does getting what I want feel? How will I celebrate? Who will I be when this goal is attained? Catherine Ponder says the visualization of what you want to achieve is critical; she adds “this is when you open your mind to receive.”

Open your mind to receive

Think grandly, don’t minimize or settle for less than the boundless expanse of your goal. Then, creatively design your goals and what you clearly visualize on paper. Keep in mind here, as you begin to set-up your treasure map vision board, to have order. Make your vision board treasure map a clear road map to success, not a chaotic mess of confusion. Clear design and clear outcome visualization make a huge difference.

You may look for inspiration in magazines or other print or online images that support the goal you want to achieve. For instance, if you have a goal of a vacation to Costa Rica, find pictures of scenery in Costa Rica. Your pictures must clearly represent that specific goal and not some vague longing. Another example might be a career or professional goal, then you need find exact pictures and motivational words that relate to your goal. If you want money, create a financial goal picture that clearly specifies the amount of money you want. The purpose is to see yourself there, to definitely see yourself achieving exactly what you want.

A treasure map captures your goal in vivid picture form on paper. What you create will become your creative visualization of achievement.

Finish your treasure map vision board.

This may seem trivial, but often many fail to complete assignments that move them closer to their goal and thereby sabotage their ultimate achievement. Keep working, clarify each goal and then add visual effects that inspire and motivate your achievement. You may also add milestone markers along the way, depending on how sophisticated you want to get.

Get it done, create your goal intention masterpiece. You are the Picasso of your goals. Keep in mind, too, that if you later find an image that better captures your goal, add it in or replace a weaker image. It is perfectly fine to refine your treasure map throughout the year.

Treasure Map placement

Place your treasure map vision board in a prominent place. It is your reminder of the goals you want to achieve. Some achievers place their vision board on the refrigerator, others tape their treasure map on the bathroom mirror or place it in front of a mirror. You may wish to put your treasure map on your bedroom door. You make the choice of where you want to hang or place your treasure map; just make sure you see it every day as a prominent reminder of your goals for 2013.